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When Your Number's Up/Transcript
Sherlock Holmes: Watson, may I present Luc? Luc, Watson. Joan Watson: What are you doing here? Holmes: Luc has agreed to handle your move. I helped his relatives emigrate from Guadeloupe many years ago, and in return, he assists me with matters which require physical labor. Watson: It's bad enough you broke in, but breaking in and taking my things could be construed as burglary. Holmes: I did not break in. I have chastised you repeatedly about that lock's inadequacy. Not changing it was the same as giving me a key. Watson: I appreciate that, but I already hired real movers to come and take my things in the morning. No offense, Luc. Holmes: Luc speaks no English. In fact, he barely speaks at all. It is but one of his many virtues. A real moving company will set foot in The Brownstone over my moldering corpse. It is our sanctum and our stronghold, and I trust no one but Luc within its confines. Watson: Those are things that are not going to the Brownstone. Holmes: Where else would they go? Watson: I'm moving to a furnished place. I'll just take what I need for my room. The rest can be donated. Holmes: Are you sure you wouldn't rather just keep them in storage? We have plenty of room in our basement. Watson: You are the one that said that all of this was me attempting to have a life that wasn't me. You were right, so I am done here. And I'm done with all of these things. Jeweler: It's a beautiful piece. They all are. Dana Powell: Thanks. Jeweler: I take it you're the original owner of all this? Dana: I am. Jeweler: Do you have the receipts? Dana: Well, they were gifts from my husband, so no. Jeweler: I'm sorry. I'll add it up and write you a check. Dana: Actually, it has to be cash. Dana: Henry? Remember me? I've brought you some clothes a few times. Roast beef sandwich, chicken soup. Captain Gregson: Victim's name is Henry Wilseck. Had a Pennsylvania driver's license on him that expired seven years ago. He also had some psychological problems, at least according to the canvassing we did. He'd been sleeping in the park for months. Watson: Any family? Gregson: Still following the info on the license, but looks like he fell through the cracks a long time ago. Holmes: Anyone remove anything from the body? Because the bloodstain on the inner lining cuts off right here. Detective Bell: Yeah, MLI found this tucked inside his coat. It's filled with cash, $3,814.62 exactly. Uh, there was this too. Watson: "Rich people are worth more than poor people. Life's not fair. Grow up." Holmes: Captain, with your permission, I'll send this to Harlan Emple. See if he can identify the maths. Bell: Well, it gets weirder. Position our guys found the envelope in, bullet would've went right through it. So somebody placed it on the body after he was shot. Watson: So someone kills a homeless man in the middle of the financial district, leaves about $4,000 and a note saying how little poor people are worth. If this is some sort of political statement, I don't get it. Holmes: The socioeconomic outrage does bear the whiff of theater, does it not? If you're genuinely angry about wealth inequality, you don't tend to go around shooting homeless people. Harlan recognizes the formula. He says it's used in civil law to calculate victim compensation. Both it and the quote are the brainchildren of the same man, an attorney by the name of Arlen Schrader. Watson: He said this in public? Holmes: In print. Bell: Well, if he's the shooter, he basically signed his work. Holmes: This formula has made Mr. Schrader a wealthy man many times over, so I doubt he'd wanna draw this kind of attention to it. Gregson: Well, whoever did it wants us to connect this body to that lawyer. Go talk to him and find out why. Bell: "Specializing in dispute resolution and wrongful death compensation." Holmes: Only the latest in a long line of euphemisms for "blood money." Bell: You know about this stuff? Holmes: Whenever a corporation cuts corners on a child's car seat, or allows poison to penetrate our food, or rolls the dice on an oil rig safety valve, someone like Mr. Schrader calculates the minimum amount of money they can pay the victims' loved ones to keep them from suing. Or, heaven forbid, from clamoring for criminal prosecution. Watson: Maybe that's what the money in the envelope is about. It's what Schrader's formula would've determined each victim was worth. Bell: So the killer set a price and then paid it. Bought the guy's life. Watson: Just to make Schrader look bad? Holmes: An understandable, if misapplied, instinct. Schrader makes his living by reducing the value of a person to a dollar amount. As if a widow can find solace in a husband-shaped pile of money, or a check can raise an orphaned child. It's repugnant. Arlen Schrader: You wouldn't be the first to call me that. Arlen Schrader. You have some questions for me? Schrader: That comment is constantly taken out of context. Holmes: We'd be eager to hear an example of the right context. Schrader: I didn't invent tort law, okay? We base compensation, in part, on the lost future earnings of the decedent. Holmes: Then this murder might be the right context. Our killer used your principles to determine Henry Wilseck's worth, and then left that amount in exchange for his life. Fair swap, in your eyes? Anything wrong with that? Schrader: Of course there is. The person you're talking about fired a gun, knowing it would cause a man's death. It's murder, they should be punished. Holmes: By that measure, many of your clients should be behind bars, should they not? Perhaps if our killer had incorporated first. Watson: Whoever shot Henry Wilseck wanted to make it about you. We wanna know if you know anyone who would do that, and why. Schrader: You're asking if anyone hates me? The line forms behind this guy. Bell: Well, anyone in particular have reason to cause you trouble? Aside from our colleague? Schrader: I was in a relationship. With another attorney. Her name is Erin Chatworth. It was short, but it was serious. I broke it off and she was very angry. I'll give you all of her information. Holmes: Ms. Chatworth, it's obvious to me that you've recently stopped wearing a wedding band. Was your marriage a casualty of your affair with Arlen Schrader? And if so, how angry were you when he recused himself from your pants? Erin Chatworth: You still haven't told me what this is all about. Did somebody hurt Arlen? Bell: No. No, but it looks like someone might have a grudge against him. Can you tell us where you were last night, between 1 and 4 a.m? Chatworth: Home, sleeping. Where were you? Watson: Mr. Schrader said he broke things off because of a conflict of interest, but he did not elaborate. Chatworth: No, I bet he wouldn't. Holmes: Would you? Chatworth: Do you remember Aceway Flight 1059? Bell: Uh, yeah, a commuter flight from LaGuardia to Burlington, Vermont that crashed last year, eighty people were killed. Chatworth: Eighty-one actually. NTSB blamed the airline, said it was due to faulty maintenance. Holmes: And that was the client that he chose over your relationship? Chatworth: Potential client. Arlen is one of the top victims' comp attorneys in the country, so Aceway went to him first. They haven't signed anything yet, but the billables on that account would be in the millions. I do business with a competing airline. Watson: And that made you a liability. Chatworth: Arlen dumped me so he could profit off 81 people's deaths. Do you really think I'm losing much sleep because he's out of my life? Bell: Schrader did bust up her marriage, and her alibi is weak, but we don't think she's involved. Gregson: What about the husband? Watson: He was seeing someone too. And there was a prenup in place that paid out to him, so he's actually pretty happy about the way things turned out. Bell: I'm gonna run it down all the same. Gregson: Well, whoever left that cash on the victim, you were right about it being a smear job. All the tabloids got copies of this in the mail this morning. Holmes: "By now I have killed Henry Wilseck, but I have paid the price. Ask the police. Ask Arlen Schrader. How much is any of us worth?" Gregson: Postmarks were from two days ago. We're checking for prints, but considering the note that he left on Wilseck was clean, I'm not holding my breath. Bell: This will get some headlines. Gregson: Well, talk radio is already on it. Schrader's taking as much heat as the killer. If he doesn't take back some of the stuff he said, his body might be the next one we find. Watson: What's all this? You never come down here. Holmes: I was just ruminating on the case. The noise wake you? Watson: No, actually it was too quiet. I couldn't sleep. Is that why you're down here? You were worried about the noise? Holmes: Well, it did not not cross my mind. Watson: Well, you don't have to tiptoe around for me. I mean, I knew what I was signing up for when I said I wanted to come back. Holmes: At my request, Arlen Schrader sent over every piece of hate mail he's received from the last two years. They're from people who'd lost loved ones and received a smaller settlement from an offending company than they felt they deserved, or who were denied compensation altogether. I've been reviewing them in the hope that a viable suspect would emerge. But so far none has done me the courtesy of leaping out. Watson: Maybe it's someone who hates Schrader for another reason. I mean, considering the way he broke things off with Erin Chatworth, I'm sure there are plenty. Holmes: Or perhaps the killer is not motivated by anger at all. Ms. Chatworth mentioned that the Aceway account would be worth millions in attorney's fees. And that's just one client. So perhaps, as I'm sure Mr. Schrader would put it, it's just business. Watson: So you think it's one of his competitors. Another victims' comp attorney? Holmes: Would be an effective way of steering the company away from Mr. Schrader, don't you think? It's one possibility. There will be others. You should sleep, Watson. Unlike me, you're more effective with it than without. We'll review everything in the morning. Watson: I have to go to my apartment tomorrow afternoon to do a final walk-through to get my security deposit back. Holmes: Will that be going to charity as well? Watson: Actually, I was thinking it could go towards restocking the kitchen. All right, I'll see you in the morning. Freddy Duncan: Matt was the entrepreneur in the family. Made his first million at 25. It was uh, phone apps or something. He was always on my ass to do something with my crappy life. Yeah, I used to get just so ticked at him, just said he should support me no matter what I was doing, you know? More than once, I yelled at him to just shut up, you know? But he just kept coming to my gigs no matter what. Duncan: Whoa. I wasn't that good, was I? Dana: I have some business to take care of today. It's a cash transaction. Duncan: Rich people. Dana: Hey, you haven't told anyone about this thing we have, have you? Duncan: No, nobody knows you're slumming it. Dana: Since when do you smoke? Duncan: Since I was 10. You know, I quit for a while when Matt died. But guess it didn't stick. Is that a problem? Dana: No, of course not. It just changes the math. Duncan: What math? Bell: Frederic Duncan. His friends called him Freddy. He's 44 years old. He's a drummer in a band no one's ever heard of. His girlfriend found him. Her co-workers alibied her for the time of the murder. Holmes: So you said there was another note? Gregson: "Dear Michael Cardenas, just saved you more money. You're welcome." Cardenas is the CEO of Aceway Airlines. Holmes: The company responsible for the downed flight to Vermont. Bell: The killer sent copies of this to the press too. So just like with the first victim, they know everything. Holmes: So is Mr. Duncan also bought and paid for? Gregson: Perp left just under 80 grand at the scene. Bell: A hell of a lot more than last time. But considering Duncan was only in his 40s, I'd say the killer didn't think his music career was about to take off. Holmes: So our culprit might be a homicidal maniac, but you can't say they're not putting their money where their mouth is. Any idea what they meant when they said they're saving the airline money? Gregson: Turns out this vic and the first both had family on Flight 1059. Bell: Henry Wilseck lost an uncle. Freddy Duncan lost a brother. Holmes: So the killer's targeting beneficiaries of those lost on the plane? Bell: Thanks to him, there's two less people to pay out now. So we're trying to locate all the beneficiaries, but it's gonna take time. Gregson: Meanwhile, 79 more people could be in his sights. Building Manager: Place looks spotless. I don't even think we'll have to repaint. Watson: Well, I guess I wasn't here long enough to do any damage. Manager: Well, we're sorry to lose you. Always better to hang onto a good tenant when we find one. Watson: Thanks, but it's a great apartment. You won't have trouble finding a new tenant. Manager: Well, actually we already have one. Watson: Wow, that's fast, right? I mean, even by New York standards. Manager: Apparently the guy wanted the place sight unseen. Don't know how he heard about it. Hadn't even listed the place yet. Only thing he asked for was an upgrade on the front lock. He sent over his own deadbolt. It's made by some high-end company. Supposed to be unpickable. Watson: Fenstermacher? Manager: Yeah, how'd you know? Gregson: Michael Cardenas, this is Detective Marcus Bell. Our consultant Sherlock Holmes. This is Gayle Wilkins. Aceway Airlines' house counsel. We appreciate you coming down. Gayle Wilkins: Frankly, we preferred it to you coming to us. Media's been camped on our doorstep all day. We'd rather not give them a shot of the police stopping by. Michael Cardenas: Some lunatic's out there gunning people down, and they're making us the bad guys. You know they're calling him the Aceway Killer? Holmes: I can't even imagine how infuriating that must be when you worked so hard to earn that moniker all by yourself. Cardenas: Excuse me? Holmes: Eighty-one people are dead. According to an official investigation, because you chose to pinch pennies on maintenance. Wilkins: We are still contesting the results of that investigation. No criminal charges have been filed. I hope that's not what you asked us here to talk about. Gregson: If you've been following the news, you know that the killer claims that he's helping you. Cardenas: Crazy people say crazy things. Holmes: Arlen Schrader had much the same reaction when the killer made reference to him. Bell: You're familiar with Mr. Schrader, correct? You talked to him about administering your victims' comp? Cardenas: You think that's why we were targeted? The killer has a problem with him? Holmes: It's one possibility. Another possibility is that the killer is not motivated by crazy, but by greed. Bell: We thought it was interesting he went out of his way to ding Aceway when you and Schrader weren't even in business yet. Mr. Holmes here wondered if the killer was an attorney in the same field. Someone who stood to benefit if Schrader dropped out of the race. Wilkins: Wait, you think all this is about forcing our hand? Gregson: Who else did you talk to about your problem? Cardenas: Well, locally there are two other firms that do what Schrader does. We talked to both of them. But it wouldn't make any sense for them to do something like this. This rampage makes them as radioactive as him. Bell: What do you mean? Wilkins: He's not the only one with a formula to calculate a decedent's worth. We still need to discuss it with the board, but we believe we may need someone with a less stratified approach. Holmes: You want a firm that will settle the claims with a fixed sum. Rather than pay the victims according to their wealth, all parties would get the same amount. Bell: Why not do that all along? Holmes: It would cost them more money. What are the numbers? The payouts that you'd make using Schrader's formula, or at least your sense of them? Wilkins: Well, setting aside crew, there were eight first-class passengers on the flight. Each was well off. We figure their families would receive somewhere in the range of 10 to 15 million. There were 67 passengers in coach. Assuming average incomes and life expectancies, their survivors would only receive a few hundred thousand. Gregson: And if you switched to the fixed sum? Wilkins: Everyone gets about $5 million. Holmes: Captain and detective, a word? Gregson: Would you excuse us a moment? Holmes: So we can agree that Mr. Cardenas and his attorney have just helped identify a new suspect pool? Gregson: Beneficiaries of the lower-income victims of Flight 1059. Bell: Schrader's formula would've factored in those victims' earning potential. Their families would've gotten less money. So if you smear Schrader, smear Aceway, then the airline's hands are tied. Fixed sum is the only way to go. Holmes: You said you were preparing a list of the beneficiaries. Can I see it? News Anchor: The murders have sparked a growing controversy over the way companies like Aceway calculate victims' compensation. According to a statement from the airlines, they've made no decision yet about Flight 1059, and are currently exploring all their options. In the meantime, the airline expressed sympathy for the two shooting victims, and its hope that whoever is responsible will be found. Dana: Penny. Penny Powell: You forgot I was coming? Dana: No, I've just been busy. Penny: I can see. Can I come in? You're redecorating? Dana: It's been a few years. I wanted a change. Penny: Dana... Dana: You're my sister, not my mother. Penny: Today I'm neither. I'm your accountant. And it's time to face facts. You can't afford to live this way. Not anymore. I'm trying to help you. Dan: Have you been watching the news? Penny: It's tax season. I've been underwater. Why? Dana: I think things are gonna get better for me. I'm going to be able to pay what I owe. Penny: What are you talking about? Dana: I'm working on something, a project. Penny: If you've invested with another of those hedge fund guys, I swear to God... Dana: I'm not stupid, Penny. Penny: I'm sorry. Is this "project" going to pay out in the next 90 days? Dana: The money is tied up. It's complicated. Penny: This came from the bank today. They're gonna take the house. If you wanna get any money out of it at all, you have to sell now. Dana: I can do it. Get the money sooner. Penny: How? Dana: Well, I've already made a fuss about it. I just have to make a bigger fuss. Watson: Did you run out of room in the basement? Holmes: I have risen, as per your instructions. Watson: Well, I thought you were at the station, so I went there after my walk-through. Marcus brought me up to speed. So I take it the amounts are how much Schrader would say each person on the crashed plane was worth? Holmes: Mm-hm. My approximation, with the help of the airline. Here in the proverbial cheap seats is where we find the victims whose survivors would benefit most from uniform settlements. I've identified three such beneficiaries who live locally and had a history of violent crime. Seems reasonable to look at them first, no? Watson: That reminds me, Marcus gave me a ballistics report. It confirms that the same gun was used to kill Wilseck and Duncan. It was traced back to a private trader at a gun show in Virginia. Holmes: A state which requires no paperwork for such a transaction. Watson: No, but the seller remembered the buyer. Sort of. White male, 40s, walked with a limp. Holmes: Did you get the appropriate photographs to him, see if he recognizes any crash victims' loved ones. Watson: Marcus is already on it, but unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the gun is still in the buyer's possession. He could have sold it to someone, who sold it to someone... Holmes: And God bless America. Watson: Are we completely off the idea that the killer is a rival of Schrader's? Holmes: We've put that to one side. This new suspect pool is more viable and better defined. Watson: Why did you rent my apartment? That was you, right? I mean, Fenstermacher is your lock of choice. And we both know how much you hated my old one. Holmes: I was assured that work would not be done today. Watson: Yesterday it was obvious that you did not want me to get rid of my things. Then you worked in the basement, said you did not want to bother me. But maybe you didn't want me bothering you. If you did not want me to move back into the Brownstone, you could have just said so. Holmes (phone): Captain. Gregson (phone): The Aceway Killer struck again. Or at least he tried to strike. Took a shot through a window out here in Nassau County. Got spooked and ran off. The woman he was after is only shaken up, luckily. She's gonna be all right. Holmes (phone): I take it she also had family on Flight 1059? Gregson (phone): Mmm. Her husband. The local P.D. is taking her statement now. She didn't get a good look at the shooter, so she may not be able to help us much anyway. But who knows? Maybe she'll surprise us. Dana: I was walking into the kitchen and I saw the man standing about there. He was wearing a ski mask. He looked right at me, and he pulled out a gun and fired. So I ran, I made it to the alarm panel, and I hit the panic button. Bell: Mrs. Powell's service includes an on-site alarm and notification to 911. We figure he ran when he heard it go off. Nassau Police found a set of men's shoe prints. Looks like he fired from here, then ran to the back fence and scaled it. Holmes: Did you notice that the shooter had a limp? Dana: I'm sorry, what? Holmes: Well, the left shoe that made this footprint is worn away on its inside edge, so... Dana: It was dark, I hid as soon as I got to the alarm. I don't think I saw him walk at all. Watson: The gun dealer described a man who had trouble walking. That could explain the uneven wear. Dana: Gun dealer? Bell: Yeah, we thought we had a lead on where the weapon came from, but I sent the dealer the pictures we talked about. No luck. Holmes: So does anyone else live here with you? Dana: No, why? Holmes: Well, just I noticed that your bedroom's on the ground floor. That's just unusual in a house this size. Dana: Well, after Nick, my husband, died, the house just felt too big, so I moved downstairs. Holmes: Our condolences on your loss. Watson: Police canvassed the neighborhood and asked if anyone saw the shooter coming or going, but most people were asleep. In the meantime, the dealer who sold the gun is sitting with a sketch artist in Virginia. We should have something soon. Holmes: A shame he didn't identify any of our white male beneficiaries. I still believe that the killer is connected to a victim of Flight 1059. Watson: Why did you ask about Dana Powell's bedroom being downstairs? Holmes: It was nothing. My brain's struggling to bring a hazy scene into focus. I thought there might have been another witness with whom we could speak. In any event, that is no longer the feature of Mrs. Powell's property which interests me the most. That distinction presently falls to this fence. The shooter entered and exited the property by climbing over it here. The evidence suggests he has a physical disability. There are easier points of egress and ingress, so why choose this one? Watson: So he wouldn't be seen? Holmes: That in turn raises other questions. In both of the previous murders, the killer was in close proximity to his victims when he pulled the trigger. Right in their personal space. He shot Mr. Duncan in his own kitchen. Watson: Maybe Duncan knew him, trusted him. Holmes: Here, in contrast, we have a ham-fisted attempt to sneak up on Mrs. Powell through her backyard. It's out of character. Something's different. Gregson: You two need to see this. Reporter: The police are sure it was the Aceway Killer? Dana: I don't see how there could be any doubt. My husband was on Flight 1059. Reporter: Are you afraid he might come after you again? Dana: No, I'm not afraid, I'm angry. The man who's doing this seems to have a problem with the way certain families may be compensated by the airline. He seems to think that everyone should be treated the same. But you know what? My husband was a commodities broker. He made something of himself. He worked hard. He earned millions. Reporter: What exactly are you saying, Mrs. Powell? Dana: Well, I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to stand here and say that my husband wasn't worth more than a teacher? Or a waitress? Or a garbage man? Nick made something of himself. So did some of the other people on that plane. Why shouldn't they be recognized? Why shouldn't their families receive more? Gregson: The term "tone-deaf" comes to mind. How did she think that was gonna play to the guy on the street? Watson: Not to mention the Aceway boardroom. If they're still on the fence about settling claims with fixed sums, they won't be for long. She probably just gave the killer exactly what he wants. Dana (video): Nick made something of himself. So did some of the other people on that plane. Why shouldn't they be recognized? Why shouldn't their families receive more? Watson: Marcus called. The sketch from the gun dealer should be here soon. He'll e-mail us once he gets it. Holmes: Aceway Airlines released a statement an hour ago. As expected, they're settling everyone's claims via fixed sum. Watson: After that interview, they didn't have much choice. Holmes: Interesting woman, no? We saw none of this outrage this morning. Yet, the moment there's a camera in front of her... Watson: She lost her husband and someone tried to kill her last night. Holmes: You think those details explain her outburst? Watson: You think almost dying is a detail? Holmes: Captain Gregson's been keeping me apprised as the police continue to locate and question the beneficiaries. One of them, a woman who lost her son, has been attending a grief counseling group for the last ten months. Freddy Duncan, the Aceway Killer's second victim, was also a member. As was Dana Powell. Watson: Wait, what are you saying? You think she's the killer? Holmes: I think she may be the killer. Or at least one of them. We've still yet to identify the man with the limp. Mrs. Powell and Mr. Duncan were known to chat before and after meetings, so perhaps she was gathering information, gaining his trust. She might've done the same with Henry Wilseck, although we'll never be able to confirm that. Watson: Well, that doesn't make sense. I mean, her husband was a commodities broker. He was in the prime of life. She stood to make two, maybe three times what she will now. Why would she go to all this trouble just to have the airline pay her less? Holmes: That's precisely the question I've been asking myself. Yesterday you asked me why I held on to your apartment. You worry that I'm having second thoughts about your return here. I merely question your haste. The timing of it all. So I took steps to keep your options open. For your benefit. Watson: Do you want me living here or not? Holmes: I do, I have never wavered on that. Even having you here the last few days has had a measurable benefit to our process. Watson: Then what is it? Holmes: For a long time, I have argued that you should fully embrace the life of a detective. You've always had a valid rebuttal. I might not share your need for a more balanced existence, but I accept it. Now, abruptly, my words hold more truth for you. In your rush to shed the skin of your former self, you're abandoning your belongings, as if leaving the site of a contamination. Watson: You think this is all about Andrew? Holmes: How could it not be? Holmes: I know that you and Andrew were only together for a short while. But I worry that, in the aftermath of a trauma, you might be over-adjusting. That moving back might not be the progression that you believe it to be, but might be a regression, a retreat into the safety of the known. I suppose I just want to ensure that I haven't been too quick to encourage. That I haven't unwittingly cast myself in the role of enabler. Watson: Maybe I don't know how much of this is a reaction to what happened, maybe I do need a safe place right now. Is that so bad? Is there something wrong with me feeling like this is home? Holmes: It's the sketch of the man who bought the gun in Virginia, the man with the limp. What if I told you that he died over a year ago, in a plane crash with 80 other people? Watson: Nick Powell. Dana's husband? It's not an exact match. Holmes: Sketches rarely are. But look at the widow's peak. Bridge of the nose. Watson: If you're right, if her husband was who bought the murder weapon... Holmes: Then I dare say I'm right, she's involved in the killings. The question remains, why go to such lengths to make the airline pay her less money? Watson: Actually, I don't think she would get less. I think she'd get more. Her husband's life may not have been worth much after all. Reporter: According to a press release from Aceway Airlines, the decision to expedite the claims process was made in the hopes it will allow the families affected by Flight 1059 to find whatever closure they can as quickly as possible. Aceway was quick to add, however, that this is not an admission of wrongdoing. Dana: Penny? Penny: You didn't call me yesterday. Someone tried to kill you, and you didn't... Dana: Why are you crying? Penny: A few friends called me after they saw you on the news yesterday. They were surprised by what you said. Dana: You don't think I deserve more? Penny: You remember when I graduated college? You couldn't understand why Mom and Dad would pay for grad school for me, but not buy you a car. Right after that, you left home. Dana: And I've done fine for myself. Penny: Of course you have. You always do. Dana: Aceway's settling. Penny: I heard. You must be happy. Dana: No, I'm relieved. Now I don't have to sell the house. Not this year. Penny: You know that I love you, right? That you can tell me anything. Dana: What would I have to tell you? Penny: You've always had a fixation when it comes to money. When it comes to what you deserve. The person who killed those two men seems to have one too. I just wanna help you. Dana: I thought it was interesting, the way he left that money behind. The killer? Yesterday he could've afforded me, today he can't. The world is funny that way. How much do you think you're worth, Penny? Bell: Dana Powell, police. Open the door. We have a warrant. Penny: I didn't call them. Bell: We found these in your bedroom closet. They match the impressions we found in your backyard. That's because you used these to make them. You faked the attempt on your life, didn't you? Dana's Lawyer: You don't have to answer that question. Bell: These were your husband's shoes, Nick? Who was killed on Flight 1059? Dana: So? Dana's Lawyer: Mrs. Powell... Holmes: This is really all about your husband, is it not? Or rather the life that you had with him, that you still believe you're entitled to. The life you had before tragedy struck. I'm not talking about the plane crash. I'm talking about the first tragedy. Watson: The gun dealer in Virginia identified your husband as the man he sold the gun to. Nick lost partial use of one of his legs. That's why you moved your bedroom to the ground floor. He could no longer make it up the stairs. He also developed dysconjugate gaze, a misalignment of the eyes due to weakened muscle control. Both are symptoms of glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain tumor. Now, a man develops a brain tumor, his symptoms come on fast, and then he buys a gun. Bell: Now, maybe he was thinking about taking his own life. Maybe he just wanted you to feel safe after he was gone. Watson: Either way, it wasn't long before he started taking regular flights to Vermont. Dana: Well, we were thinking about buying a second home in Stowe. It's not a crime to like to ski. Holmes: Neither is physician-assisted suicide. At least, not in Vermont. Your husband was planning to establish residency, was he not? Looking to avail himself of the state's laws. Watson: Even if Nick had not died in a plane crash, I'm guessing he only had a few months to live. Holmes: You realized that if the airline hired Arlen Schrader, his investigation would uncover your husband's illness. He would factor in Nick's tragically short life expectancy, and you would receive a small amount. If the airline, however, paid a fixed sum, you'd get millions. Dana's Lawyer: This is some tale you're spinning. So far I don't hear a thing that connects Mrs. Powell to any murders. Bell: Her husband bought the gun that was used to kill Henry Wilseck and Freddy Duncan. That's not in question. Now, neither is the fact that it was used to fire a bullet through her window the other night. The gun hasn't turned up. Doesn't mean it won't. Even without it, I like our chances. Holmes: The Captain believes there might be a deal to be struck. That you will spend the bulk of your remaining days in prison is, well, it's a virtual certainty. What kind of prison, on the other hand... Bell: You can find yourself in a hole in the ground... Holmes: Or a room with a view. Somewhere with a yard, exercise equipment. More white-collar criminals than blue. I mean, it really just comes down to this, Mrs. Powell. What do you think you deserve? Watson: Hey, I've got something to show you. It's in the basement. Holmes: Is that a nail gun? Watson: Be right down. I'm gonna use the other door. So, what do you think? Holmes: I think you've taken me up on my offer to store some of your things. Watson: Well, I am not storing them, I am arranging them. You were right. It took me a while to get my balance again, and I don't wanna lose that, I don't wanna give it up. So I decided to claim a little space of my own. Holmes: In the basement. Watson: Well, it's not perfect, but it'll be mine. And for either of us to get down here, we'll have to physically leave the Brownstone. Maybe it sounds a little weird. Holmes: No, not at all. You know, I once walled myself into a section of 221B. I did not leave access to a door, nor did I require one for several weeks, but... Watson: Well, I'll keep my bedroom upstairs and I'll work down here. And I can have meetings with my own clients. This way you'll feel a little less like you're enabling me. Holmes: Um, I'm gonna need a couple of days to clear some things out. Some experiments. Prolonged exposure could present a health risk. Watson: All right, I'm not gonna stop you. Holmes: Right, then I suppose I should see someone about backing out of a lease. Category:Transcripts